T'was the night before Christmas
by pandaburger
Summary: An old time Christmas story comes true.


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;  
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;  
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,  
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;  
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,  
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,  
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.  
Away to the window I flew like a flash,  
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.  
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow  
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,  
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,  
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,  
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,  
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.  
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,  
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;  
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!  
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!  
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!  
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"  
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,  
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,  
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,  
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.  
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof  
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.  
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,  
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.  
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,  
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;  
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,  
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.  
His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!  
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!  
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,  
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;  
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,  
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;  
He had a broad face and a little round belly,  
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.  
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,  
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;  
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;  
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,  
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,  
And laying his finger aside of his nose,  
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;  
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,  
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.  
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,  
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Arthur shut the slender book with a snap.

"Again! Again!" Cried Alfred and Matthew in unison, there large blue eyes looked up at him imploringly.

"But I just finished reading it to you for the seventh time tonight," Arthur said as furrowed his eyebrows. He looked at his two children, their little chubby cheeks and tiny noses along with their big blue eyes completed their tiny faces with such elegance and grace, all the attributes they had inherited from him. But this whining and wanting to read a book a million times, well that,_ that_ they had inherited from their mother.

"But, just once more, pleeeeeeeeease" Alfred begged.

"Ya daddy, just one more time," Matthew chimed in. "We need to read it an even number of times,"

Alfred quickly counted on his chubby little fingers "Ya! We have only read it seven times, which means one more will be eight and eight is an even number." He held up his hands in Arthurs face so that he was sure that he could see them.

Arthur moved his face away from Alfred's hands and shook his head. "No, seven times is enough for one night, now off to get ready for bed, both of you."

"Aww daddy." Alfred pouted as he and Matthew climbed off of Arthurs lap, Matthew looked up at him "You will come say goodnight wont you papa?"

Arthur nodded and then motioned toward the stairs. Matthew smiled and then turned and hurried after his brother as both boys went up the stairs.

Arthur watched the two blond boys bounce up the stairs and disappear out of sight. With a sigh he set the book down and pulled off his reading glasses, rubbing his eyes. He stretched and looked up as he heard someone's footsteps coming into the room. It was Francis; he came over and sat down on the arm of the chair, his blond hair fells in wavy locks in Arthurs face as Francis kissed him on the forehead.

"Reading to the children?"

Arthur nodded, looking up at Francis he smiled "Yes, eavesdropping?"

Francis smiled and played with some of his hair. "Always;"

"You really shouldn't you know," Arthur smiled and took Francis's hand in his as he looked up into his eyes. "One day it might get you into trouble, and you set a bad example for the children."

"But not on Christmas eve, and besides they are already up the stairs and in their bedroom" Francis's eyes danced with merriment and Arthur thought he could make out something akin to giddy joy in his lovers smile. He smiled and then placed his hand on the back of Francis's head, bringing their lips together in a tender, brief kiss.

"Merry Christmas love," he whispered softly.

"Merry Christmas."

"_The doors are shut, the windows are all latched and the blinds closed,"_ Arthur carefully went through his mental check list as he lay in bed next to the already snoring Francis. _"Kids are in bed, lights are all out except for Mattie's night light, there is no food left out in the kitchen so the mice won't get into anything, stockings are up, tree lights are on, the milk and cookies are sitting by the tree covered with saran wrap so that the mince won't get into them either. Everything is good." _He smiled slightly as he closed his eyes; tonight was going to be a good night. With a deep breath he let his mind slip into the sweet realms of sleep.

Screech! Scratch, skritch, click, clack, clatter, thud!

Arthur sat straight up, his eyes wide as he listened to the noises that were coming from somewhere above him.

"_What on earth,"_ he jumped up and ran to the window, jerking back the curtains and pulling up the blinds he looked out. The moon gave off plenty of light to see by and as he looked around he couldn't see anything that would have been making such a noise, he scrunched his eyebrows, confused, and still half asleep. He looked again but still couldn't see anything. With a sigh he was just about to go back to bed when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Taking a second look up into the sky he strained his eyes to make out what he saw.

"Is that, no, it couldn't be," his eyes widened as the small speck of something quickly came fully into view. It was a small sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer, and sitting in the sleigh was a quick little driver. "It can't be!" Arthur cried, he heard a snuffled snore behind him and he glanced back, afraid that he had waken Francis, but the other man slept on, his peaceful face showed no signs of disturbance, "Why was I even worried," Arthur muttered as he turned his attention back to the sleigh "a freight train couldn't wake that baboon".

Opening the window Arthur stuck his head outside to try and get a better view. He could hear the little man calling out to his reindeer,

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

"_This is not happening,"_ Arthur thought as he watched the little sleigh drew closer and closer, and then with one big upward motion it zipped up high and disappeared out of sight above the house, sending a gust of air blowing in Arthurs face. Turning around from the window Arthur could hear the pawing of little hooves on the roof, then there was the sound of someone walking across the roof. Dashing out of the bedroom Arthur hurried halfway down the stairs, just enough where he could see the fireplace. As he watched the driver came down out of the chimney, his red, fur lined suit all covered in soot and dirt. His hat sat cocked slightly to one side, and he didn't have a beard, in fact Arthur thought he recognized him from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it.

Arthur cringed as the little man brushed off his suit and then straightened his hat _"All that dirt and soot is going to have to be cleaned up later"_ Arthur thought to himself in dismay, he was about to say something but he couldn't seem to bring himself to talk. The little man winked over at him and then with a gigantic smile opened the sack that he had slung over his shoulder and began pulling out packages of various sizes, all of them wrapped in brightly colored wrapping paper. He set them carefully under the tree and arranged them in piles and stacks, making sure that they looked like a picture out of a magazine. When he had them all arranged just so he turned his attention to the glass of milk and plate of sugar cookies that sat beside the tree on a little end table.

Taking the plate in his hand he pulled off the saran wrap and picked up the cookie that was shaped like a Christmas tree. Putting it in his mouth he took a bite and smiled, taking the glass of milk he gulped it down and then took the other three cookies and put them in one of his over sized pockets. Wadding up the saran wrap into a ball he set it on the empty plate and then put the empty glass beside it.

Stepping over to the fireplace the little man placed a finger on the side of his nose and then gave a nod up, nothing happened. Arthur almost burst out laughing at the look of disappointment and dismay that crossed the red suited guys face. With a quick motion he changed the side of his nose and gave a nod, this time up the chimney he rose.

Getting up, Arthur ran back up the stairs and went back to the window, he got there just in time to see the sleigh coming off the roof, as he watched it fly off he heard the little man say.

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!"

Arthur stood there till the little sleigh disappeared from sight, the words of the little man still ringing in his ears. Pulling his head back inside he shut the window, lowered the blinds, and closed the curtains. Walking back over to the bed he sat down thoughtfully and looked at the clock, it almost 1 am.

"Could that have been? It must have been nobody else acts like that," Arthur shook his head "Tino."


End file.
